Blame
by FaithandFantasy
Summary: Sabo's death hit Ace and Luffy hard. Confused and suffering, Ace looks for someone to take his grief and frustration out on. Someone to take the blame. (warnings: abuse and violence, mild swearing) - chapter 5 posted
1. Chapter 1 - Turmoil

**Blame by Faith&Fantasy**

**This is an AU. The characters and their backstories up to a point are the same. Of course, this does not occur in the manga/anime.**

** - OOC (very for both Ace and Luffy, slight for others). Ace's way of thinking and viewing his life is completely switched (think almost Dark!Ace). I want to warn you all now so you're not wondering "Huh? That's not Ace!" Or "That's not Luffy!". I know it isn't, but it's part of the story. I apologize if it's not to your liking, but it's needed for the storyline. I'll try not to make it unnecessarily drastic and still keep as much of the original charm that Oda created them with as I can. :)**

** - no pairings**

** - rated T for violence (will change to M if requested) **

** - warnings: abuse and violence, mild swearing, and a horrible cliché about stars...**

**Summary:**

**Sabo's death hit Ace and Luffy hard. Confused and suffering, Ace looks for someone to take his grief and frustration out on. Someone to take the blame.**

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline. All characters, references to characters, settings, etc. belong to Enricho Oda.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Turmoil

**_"The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst in turmoil" ~ Thomas A. Edison_**

Dead.

Sabo was dead.

His brother…_His best friend_…was dead.

Ace sat on the cliff side, staring blankly at the vast sea before him. It was a beautiful evening: the sun was setting in brilliant shades of reds, oranges, and pinks while seagulls glided lazily on the thermals rolling off the rock face.

But Ace didn't see the hues of the sunset. Nor did he see the silhouettes of the seagulls glinting in the waning light. He eyes traced the clouds ahead, unseeing and glazed over. Thoughts ran rampant in his mind.

_Why? Why did this happen?_

_No, HOW did this happen? It's not fair!_

_Sabo shouldn't have died…_

_I should have died instead…_

The ten-year-old wasn't sure how long he stood in his stupor, but at some point his mind snapped back into full-consciousness and reality hit him like a wave. Noticing that the sun had fully set -probably long ago- Ace turned and trudged back to the mountain bandits' hut. His feet dragged through the dust, sending small puffs of the substance into the air to be carried off to the stars by the night wind. The same wind teased his raven locks and whispered in his ear.

_It should have been you instead…._

Something in Ace stirred and caused him to pause in his trek home. Was that true? Sure, he was the son of a devil, but did that really mean he was supposed to die?

Ace felt his heart clench, but not in a painful way. No, it felt more like….rebellion. Something lit in his soul. Determination raced through his veins like acid, shooting through every part of his being. No! He didn't deserve to die!

But neither did Sabo.

Ace raised his head and gazed up at the stars twinkling brightly in the cloudless sky. He remembered a time, long ago, when he had sat outside with Sabo one night shortly after they had just met, looking at the same sky he was gazing at now.

**Flashback**

_"Aren't they pretty?"_

_An eight-year old Ace turned to his new friend, confusion written across his features. His ever-present scowl deepening._

_"Aren't what pretty?" He demanded, looking at the blonde like he was crazy._

_"The stars." Sabo replied turning his gaze back up to the sky. Ace blinked at his friend before turning his eyes upwards as well. So that's what they were called…_

_Sabo noticed Ace's confusion and smiled lightly. "A guy from grey terminal told me that, when you die, you become a star. He said that stars are like the eyes of angels, watching over those below and protecting them."_

_Ace blinked before scoffing in reply. "That's stupid. And creepy."_

_Sabo frowned, before laughing softly and turning to his friend. "I guess you're right. It does sound kinda silly. Still…" Sabo drifted off wistfully. "It's sort of nice to think about."_

**End Flashback**

Ace gasped as the memories receded, pressing them far back into the recesses of his mind. He didn't want to remember. It was too painful. Shaking his head to clear the remnants of the memory, Ace continued to trudge back to the hut. As he did, his mind began to wander again. The fire of rebellion still smoldered in the crevices of his heart. If he wasn't to blame, then who was? What had happened was unforgivable, and someone had to take the blame.

And for once it wasn't going to be him.

* * *

Luffy was cold.

He was cold and hungry. He hadn't eaten all day and Ace was nowhere to be found. His older brother had run out earlier that morning.

Luffy wasn't stupid. Maybe a little simple-minded, but definitely not stupid. He knew that there was no way he'd be able to catch one of the beasts that dwelled on Mt. Corvo by himself. He would just have to sit and wait for Ace to return.

Luffy sniffled and frowned. He missed Sabo. They had received the news from Dogra three days ago that the blonde boy had been shot while setting out to sea to fulfill his dream of being a pirate. Ever since, Ace had been avoiding Luffy. The seven-year old understood that his brother was upset and needed space. Even though Luffy didn't love Sabo any less, Ace had known the boy longer. Sabo had been the first to accept Ace as he was, and the first to not judge him based on his parentage. Still, Luffy was just as upset. He was hurting, and his young heart craved comfort, something he was severely lacking at the moment.

A loud grumble shook the boy from his thoughts. Luffy looked down at his tummy, which was protesting loudly at the lack of food. With a sigh, Luffy stood up and stretched. The last beam of light from the sunset had been chased off by the night, and now the mountain was swathed in darkness. It was time to find Ace. Luffy let a smile split across his face and replaced his hat that was hanging on around his neck back onto his head, tugging it down affectionately. He hadn't seen Ace at all today and missed him terribly.

Maybe, just maybe, Ace would let Luffy hug him. Just this once.

* * *

_I wonder…_

Ace had once again fallen victim to his thoughts as he trekked home. He couldn't help it. What if they hadn't gone to Grey Terminal that day. Sure, the trash heaps still would've been eliminated, as well as all the people living there, but maybe they wouldn't have been caught up in it all.

_Snap._

Ace stood stock still, utilizing his senses to their full capacity. He had heard something. Obsidian eyes scanned the foliage around him. It was rather difficult to make anything out in the twilight, but Ace could tell that something was lurking.

_ACE! _

Ace startled, then huffed in annoyance. He recognized Luffy's high-pitched, whiny voice calling out to him from the shadows. The older boy scowled: the kid was an idiot! His voice was loud enough to attract every nighttime predator within a mile. The brat was always messing everything up. If he got eaten, it would be his own fault.

_His own fault._

_Luffy's fault…._

Something in Ace clicked. The fire that had been smoldering in his heart flared. Luffy was always messing everything up. The kid was a walking disaster! He couldn't even get food on his own, let alone fight. If they had never met the kid, then none of this….

_If they had never met the kid…._

Ace had always been a misplaced-aggression sort of person. He usually had control over it, but not tonight. Maybe it was the dreary night. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't slept a wink in over three days. Whichever it was, something changed in the 10-year-old child. It was as if all the joy and warmth he felt when he was with Sabo and Luffy had been sucked out of him, leaving only an empty shell of what he once was.

_ACE! ACE WHERE ARE YOU?!_

There it was again, Luffy's voice. Ace cringed, but continued walking through the shadows towards the hut. Knowing his little brother, the brat would burst through the bushes in 3…2…1…

_ACEEEEEE!_

No sooner had he heard the yell then was Ace barreled into by a blur of black hair and flying limbs. Ace and the fuzzy blur crashed to the ground with a pained "umph". Then the blur starts to talk, LOUD.

"Ace! I've been looking for you everywhere! Why didn't you answer?" Luffy jumped off the older boy, grinned widely and dancing from foot to foot. "I never really noticed how huge this place is. It's kinda scary." Luffy looked around at the looming shadows and grasping branches of the trees. He shivered. The temperature was already dropping.

But Ace didn't even look at his brother. The 10 year old just picked himself up off the ground and continued walking through the trees towards the hut, ignoring the younger completely. Luffy blinked. _I guess he's still upset._ The small raven-haired boy ran after his brother and fell into step beside the older boy. Luffy felt the need to hug Ace arise again, but a little voice in the back of his mind chimed alarmingly, warning him not to.

_Why am I so afraid? He's my brother! I should comfort him._

Nodding, Luffy shook the voice away and jumped in front of Ace, wrapping his rubbery arms around the older boys waist and squeezing him tightly. He felt Ace stiffen underneath his embrace, but Luffy just held onto him tighter.

"I know your sad, Ace. I'm sad too. But Sabo wouldn't want us to be so sad over him. I bet that if he was here, he would say-" But before he could finish, Ace ripped Luffy's arms off of him, and shoved him roughly. Luffy stumbled backwards, the force of the shove sending him to the ground with a surprised yelp.

"Don't touch me." voice filled with venom, Ace glared down at his brother, his obsidian eyes like daggers. Luffy stared back, his own deep, nut-brown eyes wide and confused. Ace held the younger boy's stare for a moment before abruptly turning and walking through the foliage. Luffy blinked before opening his mouth to call out to his brother. But before he could, Ace spoke one word over his shoulder before disappearing into the darkness. One word filled with so much hate, it hit Luffy like a blast of arctic air.

"Murderer."

* * *

Luffy wasn't sure how long he stayed sitting on the forest floor. Ace's footsteps had faded away a long time ago. His knee stung and his ankle felt funny, but the young boy didn't even notice. That same word just kept replaying in his mind.

_Murderer...Murderer...Murderer..._

Finally, Luffy shook himself out of his trance. He noticed the sharp pain on his leg and looked down. Dried blood covered his knee from where it hit a rock when he fell. Luffy shifted to get up and bit back a cry of pain. His ankle was twisted at an odd angle and slightly swollen. Grasping the side of a nearby boulder, Luffy carefully pulled himself up off the ground, careful not to put any weight on his left foot. After a minute to get his balance, he tested his weight on the foot, wincing when pain shot through his ankle. It hurt, but Luffy figured he could make it home. The bandit's hut wasn't that far away.

Carefully, the young boy limped through the bushes, using the boulders and low hanging branches for support. As the pain in his foot started to numb, Luffy started to think over what just happened. _What was that about? Is Ace still just upset about Sabo?_ Luffy knew that his brother was sad, but he had never acted like that before. Sure, Ace had hit Luffy before whenever the boy did something stupid, but this time was different. Somehow, this time it hurt more. Luffy wasn't sure why, but he felt uneasy. Like something bad was about to happen.

_Murderer? But...I'm not a murderer...right?_

* * *

**A/N: I think I'll keep notes down at the bottom so you don't have to sift through it all at the beginning. That way if you don't want to read all this hogwash, you don't have to. This is my first fanfic and I hope you all liked it!**

**Footnotes:**

**- This will be a multi-chapter fic. Not sure how many chapters yet, but I thought I'd just let you know.**

**- As you see, Ace's thoughts are not really much like the ones in the manga/anime. Right now, he doesn't really focus on his parentage and the fact that he is the "son of a demon" and everyone believes he shouldn't have been born. He still thinks these things, and was still told so by the adults, but he is kind of shutting that out. He found a new person to blame, and is clinging to that. So yes, it's very different, but it's for the sake of the story. I hope you're not too upset with me. Let me know your thoughts on this deviation from the canon.**

**- Yes, Luffy did hurt his ankle from falling. I know that he's made of rubber, but I 'm planning on taking some leeway with this. I figured my two "reasons" could be as follows. Maybe Luffy hasn't gotten to the full extent of his powers. We know that he gets stronger as time goes on, so devil fruit users most likely don't have full control of everything when it comes to defense, especially this early in their use of the fruit. My second reason is that Ace is, unknowingly, using haki, We know from Garp that using haki harms Luffy, despite being rubber. So my thoughts are that Ace is not in control of his haki, and is unwittingly letting it out bit by bit through the turmoil of emotions he's having. Of course, neither of the boys know this right now. So these are the factors that will play into whether something harms Luffy or not, and they will become a bigger part in the future. Again, let me know any thoughts you have on this topic, as I know it kind of muddles with the properties of the Gomu Gomu no Mi. **

**I believe that's all. Please review and let me know of any questions, concerns, comments, and/or criticism you have. Also let me know if you have a preference for chapter length (ie, long chapter w/ longer wait in between or shorter chapters with less wait time). As I said, this is my first fanfic and any advice would be greatly appreciated. I won't make any promises about updates, because that wouldn't be fair to you. My plan right now is to always have another completed chapter in waiting before posting a chapter. That way, if something comes up, I can still provide updates within a reasonable amount of time.**

**Respectively yours,**

**Faith&Fantasy**


	2. Chapter 2 - Rage

**Blame by Faith&Fantasy **

**Thanks for reading the first chapter! Your encouragement and kind words mean the world to me. My deepest gratitude to you all. Responses to reviews will always be posted at the end of a chapter. If you prefer a private message response, just let me know in your review. :)**

**This chapter is a little longer than the last one (unfortunately, not by much since it was already written). Let me know your thoughts on it's length. Chapter three is already written and is currently being revised. So the next update shouldn't be too far away.**

**This an AU. The characters and their backstories up to a point are the same. Of course, this does not occur in the manga/anime. **

**- OOC **

**- no pairings**

**- rated T for violence (will change to M if requested) **

**- warnings: abuse and violence, mild swearing**

**Summary:**

**Sabo's death hit Ace and Luffy hard. Confused and suffering, Ace looks for someone to take his grief and frustration out on. Someone to take the blame.**

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline. All characters, references to characters, settings, etc. belong to Oda.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Rage

**"Men in rage strike those that wish them the best" ~ William Shakespeare**

"Boss?"

Dadan was startled from her thoughts, realizing that she had been holding her sake but not taking a single drink. Instead, she opted for staring at the adjacent wall, her mind drifting. Shaking her head, she turned her gaze to Dogra, who was looking at her with concern. "What?"

Dogra turned back to his food, staring at the plate absent-mindedly. The other bandits were eating and drinking, all in good spirits after another successful raid on a passing caravan headed for Goa Kingdom, this one happening to be carrying a large quantity of high quality sake. "I'm worried about him too."

Dadan blinked. Dogra was one of her best men, and the two had been working together for many years. He could read her like a book. She knew exactly who the "him" he spoke of was, and there was no use denying his claim. The red-haired woman look down at the full bottle grasped in her hand. Sighing, she placed it down on the floor next to where she sat and placed a cigarette in her mouth before lighting it. "It's been over a week and the damn brat is still in a funk." Exhaling and biting her lip slightly, Dadan looked at the door across the room where she knew a small straw-hatted boy was most likely waiting, huddled in the shadows. "He's shutting Luffy out."

Dogra looked up at Dadan, surprised. "His own brother? Those two are inseparable."

"When there was three of them, yes. Ace never got along with Luffy before Sabo accepted him as a brother, when it was just the two of them here.

"True." The short man trailed off. "But this...just feels different."

"Hn." Dadan noised, deep in thought. _Yes, different._

* * *

_Grrraauuughhhh_

Luffy looked down at his stomach. It was angry with him again. He knew he should go looking for food, but he was scared. The beasts of Mt. Corvo were too large for a seven-year old to take down by himself. Before he became brothers with Ace and Sabo, Luffy would stick to small bugs and the rice that Dadan provided.

It had never been enough.

Sighing, the small raven-haired child looked towards the light filtering into the small room from underneath the wooden door. He could hear the drunken laughter of the bandits. He still didn't like bandits. Especially drunk bandits.

Luffy remembered how the fight between Shanks and that bandit had been about sake. He liked Shanks, but he never understood why the man loved sake so much. It tasted weird, and smelled really awful. _Must be an adult thing._

Turning his gaze towards the window, Luffy watched the full moon rise higher above the treetops. It had been a week since the incident in the forrest with Ace, and his older brother was still ignoring him, getting up in the morning before Luffy woke up and returning long after the younger had fallen asleep. Now that he thought of it, had he even seen Ace at all today? Luffy wasn't sure.

Feeling his legs starting to cramp, the seven-year-old stood up from his crouched position and stretched. Thankfully, his ankle had only been sprained and he was walking fine again. How he sprained his ankle in the first place though still puzzled him. He was a rubber-man! Nothing could hurt him! Oh well. A drink of water before bed was in order.

Shoving open the wooden door leading to the main room of the hut, Luffy was met with the raucous laughter of the bandits. Not in the mood to deal with any of their drunken babble - _Where's your parents, kid? Did they take one look at ya and run for the hills? I don't blame 'em!_ - Luffy slinked as quickly and quietly as he could towards the door to outside. The bandits weren't really all that bad, certainly not as bad as the ones from the incident, but alcohol can make even the most careful person blurt out the stupidest of things. And he wasn't exactly in the best mood right now.

"Oi! Where the hell do you think you're going?"

_Crap_. The room fell silent as Luffy slowly turned around to face the speaker. Dadan, cigarette clenched tightly between her teeth, was glaring at him with her ever-present scowl. Dogra sat next to her, looking at the young boy with interest.

"Just getting a drink of water."

Dadan grunted in reply and the bandits went back to celebrating. Luffy padded quickly to the door, eager to get the drink, take a pee, then curl up and sleep away his problems.

"Hey brat,"

_UH what NOW?_ Luffy turned back to Dadan impatiently, only to pause when he saw the woman's face. Her eyes held a mixture of irritation and...was that concern? Dadan opened her mouth to speak again, but seemed to be having trouble finding the right words.

"Just...be careful, okay?"

Luffy blinked, stunned by the woman's sudden display of maternal concern. She hadn't spoken a word when they had challenged the Tiger King, but now getting a drink of water is dangerous business. Turning to Dogra, Luffy saw the same strange look of concern etched upon his weirdly-shaped face. Oddly touched, Luffy felt a genuine smile split his face for the first time since Sabo had died.

"Shishishi, sure thing old lady."

Luffy sprinted out the door, dodging empty bottles and shouts of _WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, YOU SHITTY BRAT?!_

* * *

Gasping for breath while chuckling, the young boy finally stopped running. He clutched his knees and allowed his heart rate to slow, listening intently. The full moon's light flickered in and out of misty clouds. The wind blew urgently, carrying the scent of rain. A storm was rolling in. Eager to get back to the hut before he got soaked, Luffy looked around him for any sign of the river. Determining his eyesight to be useless in the muddy haze of moonlight, Luffy listened for the soft murmur of the river.

_Chirrrrr. Chirrrrr._ The ever present hum of cicadas in the trees.

_Hup. Hoo-oo. Hoo. _A spotted owl calling to it's mate somewhere in the distance.

Luffy could even hear the underlying breathe of the life in the forest itself. But no sign of the...wait.

_Vwuuuuuuuushhhhh_

There! Luffy turned towards the right, his feet sure as he followed the faint sound of air and water meeting. After a minute of walking, Luffy came to the familiar sandy shore of the river. Footprints of various beasts littered the shore line as Luffy added his own pint-sized marks in a sprint to the river's edge. Careful not to fall in, the raven-haired child dipped a small iron cup he had snitched from the bandits into the cool water. Taking long gulps, Luffy filled multiple draughts of the mountain's fresh water before feeling his stomach swell comfortably. The icy liquid took the edge off of the hunger pains and Luffy felt sated for the first time in a while.

The coolness in his belly keeping him alert, Luffy finally began to recognize where he was. Standing up and carefully walking back up the shore - no exploring the inside of a crocodile's belly tonight, thank you - the small boy took a long look around him. In the scarce moonlight he could just make out the small alcove on the other side of the river where he knew the crocodiles and plovers were - hopefully - sleeping. Behind him was the tree with the huge branches which hung over the water that Ace, Sabo and himself had used countless times to spring surprise-attacks on the unaware crocs below. Smiling - albeit a bit tearfully - at the memory, Luffy began walking, letting his mind wander and his feet take him wherever they pleased. Passing by familiar landmarks, Luffy felt waves of memories rush over him like sun-warmed winds.

The small beach where Sabo and Ace had used him as a beach ball after discovering more about his Gomu Gomu no Mi powers.

The first time he was swallowed by a crocodile as a result of his brothers messing around with his powers.

Which led to the first time he had ever tasted crocodile stew, which made getting eaten by the crocodile almost worth it. _Almost_.

A large boulder which looked a lot like the ones he would use to test out new rubber attacks - _this couldn't possibly be one though because there are no hit marks on it and I almost never miss!_

A large tree that looks like the one that Sabo and Ace had tied him to when they wanted to kill him - _for no reason! I did nothing wrong! _- and..oh. It is that tree. Look! The ropes are still there!

The first time he met Sabo. Even if the blonde had planned on killing him.

Large paw prints that looked like the ones of the Tiger King - _we did kill that thing though...right? _- and the other beasts they used to hunt together - _no wait. This one is danpa tracks. Not tiger._

The stump where they became sworn brothers.

The treehouse they built as brothers...WAIT.

Shocked to a stop, Luffy gazed up open-mouthed at the familiar wooden structure. Wide eyes roamed over the well-known beams and cracks...and a few new repairs as well. He could just make out a shadowy figure moving about in the flicker of candle-light.

_So this is what Ace has been doing! Fixing our home!_

Luffy remembered how on the day that Sabo left...was taken...from them, they had been gathering wood to repair the fort after a bad storm. Speaking of which...

_Plip. Plip. Plip._

Fat, heavy raindrops began to fall, and without hesitation Luffy deftly ascended the rope ladder to the top. Upon reaching the small hut nestled between the largest branches of the tree, Luffy stopped, suddenly a little apprehensive of entering. Shifting his weight from foot to foot and mulling over whether to call out or just walk in, Luffy noticed the rustling inside the fort stop.

"...Luffy?"

"Ace, is that you?" Luffy ducked into the enclosed space, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the sudden light cast throughout the room from a single lantern in the middle of the floor. When they finally did, he could just make out the hunched figure of his brother reclined in the corner of the room farthest from the door. Luffy was about to call out to him again when it hit him. A scent he was afraid he would never smell again.

_Meat._

His eyes were drawn to a plate on which lay the remains of some cooked beast and set in the middle of the room. Mouth watering, Luffy stumbled towards the carcass; there wasn't much meat left, and what was left had gone cold, but after eating only small bugs and a measly cup of rice a day for over a week, the thin child wasn't about to be picky. Picking up a bone and gnawing on it like a ravenous wolf pup, Luffy's mouth started motoring a mile a minute.

"Meath! Meath! Itsh wreally meath! Wha kinduf meath ish thish?"

"...its bear." Ace replied in monotone.

The two words themselves were enough to make Luffy pause in his urgent scarfing. Bear? None of the brothers had ever been able to take down the bears alone! How had Ace done it? Luffy's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Onii-chan's so strong! And you repaired our fort! It looks so cool!"

Ace didn't reply.

When the only sounds in the room - Luffy's loud eating - had subsided, the younger raven became acutely aware of the heavy silence that had fallen on the brothers like a blanket of thick snow. The only sound remaining was the soft pat of raindrops on the wooden roof.

"Umm, A-ace?" Luffy stuttered, having trouble breaking the defining silence.

"Hn." Ace noised from the corner, eyes shadowed by the lack of light.

"Well, I was wondering if you are going to come back to Dadan's..."

"Why would I go back to that shitty place? This is where I live." Ace voice was stronger.

"O-oh. Right." Again silence.

Movement from Ace broke the stagnancy. Luffy startled - _why am I so jumpy?_ - and turned towards his brother in time to catch a flash of light reflection off of the object in Ace's hand, something Luffy hadn't noticed it before. The shape look familiar, and recognition dawned on Luffy like a block of ice dropped into his stomach as he watched his brother lift said object to his mouth and take a long drink.

"Ace, is that...sake?"

Releasing a breath, Ace turned to his younger brother, his features now more apparent. His eyes were red-rimmed, his skin a strange pale color, and his raven hair messier than usual.

"What does is look like?" Ace growled out.

Frowning, Luffy stood and walked closer to his brother. "Sake." Luffy replied, wariness heard in every aspect of his voice. "You stole it from Dadan, didn't you? She won't let it go like last time. She'll be really upset."

"So what?" Ace ground out, jumping to his feet and glaring down at the smaller boy. "That old hag doesn't care crap about us anyway."

Thinking back to the strange concern shining in Dadan's eyes when Luffy had left earlier that evening, the younger found himself unable to agree with his older brother.

"Besides," Ace continued, taking a threatening step towards Luffy. "What I do is none of your damn business."

Shocked, Luffy found himself backing up with each step the older took. Soon, the small child found himself backed straight into a wall. _What's going on?_

"I-I just don't want you to get in trouble, Ace!" Luffy cried out as his back hit the wall.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WANT!" Ace reached out his empty hand, grasping the smaller boy around his neck and pushing him up against the wall.

Fighting adrenaline, horribly misplaced, raced through Luffy's veins. Frantic, the smaller boy grappled at the hand around his throat, his feet lifted off the floor and kicking. But it was no use; his brother's grip was far to strong. Luffy locked his pleading gaze with his brother's, his eyes turning wet against his will. _I'm not a crybaby!_ But Ace's gaze remained steely-cold, and his eyes not the least bit clouded by the alcohol.

"You took him away! It's your fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!" With each word, Luffy felt the grip on his neck get tighter until he could no longer breathe. This felt all too familiar. The words were cold, just like..just like...

_Murderer...Murderer..._

Gasping for air he couldn't breathe, the small raven-haired tried to call out to his brother.

"A-ce-pl'se-stpt!"

The younger's struggles began to slow as his vision grew dark around the edges. _What's happening? Why is Ace...but Ace is..._

The last thing the boy saw before losing himself to the embrace of unconsciousness was the glint of glass moving swiftly through the air towards him.

* * *

**I feel like a right meanie right now. I'm sorry Luffy! *crys***

**Footnotes:**

**- That was a heavy chapter. I'm not exactly sure how this one will sit with all of you, because it was told through Luffy's point of view and it was severely lacking in the happy-go-lucky Luffy we all know and love. I chose to make his point of view a little bit more melancholy and serious because he too is suffering from Sabo's death. Unlike Ace however, Luffy has in a way come to terms with his brother's passing and can look back on the memories they shared and smile, even if it is a tear-filled one.**

**- I'm curious to see your reactions to how I used alcohol in this chapter. Alcohol was definitely a negative here, but it wasn't intended to be a "bad guy" per say. The use of alcohol by the bandits was my way of creating a plausible way for Ace to obtain sake (instead of just "Look! I found booze in the woods!"). Of course Luffy isn't fond of it because it reminds him of what happened with Shanks. However, sake was also the symbol of the ASL brother-ship. So he isn't quite sure how he feels about it (of course, we all know how much Luffy drinks on his ship when he grows up, but right now he's a kid. So he probably thinks it's at least a bit nasty). Also, take note on how I wrote that Ace's gaze was "not the least bit clouded by the alcohol". Although his rage was amplified by alcohol, his intentions and actions were not. Ace is trying to find a coping mechanism, and it ain't working too well for him right now. Alcohol will also play into Luffy's denial in later chapters. **

**- Plovers are those birds that clean the teeth of crocodiles, in case you were curious.**

**To my Reviewers!**

**You were my FIRST EVER reviewers, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You will always hold a special place there :)**

**Miki**** - I too, am a sucker for an angst story! Which then makes me feel horrible since I especially like the ones about my favorite characters having the worst of times. *hides face in shame*. I'm glad you like the idea! I've always wondered what would happen if Ace didn't go all "protective-older-brother-mode" after Sabo's death. What if he just got...really upset? Thanks for you review! :)**

**FuuYuki34**** - I agree! Luffy isn't a murderer! He didn't do anything wrong! I hope this update was a good one and that you will keep having interest. I enjoy writing for people like you who look forward to reading it so much! Thank you! :3**

**noname**** - No thank YOU for reading! And writing a review! Glad to hear you liked it! :D**

**SABO**** - Awwww, you flatter me! *blushes* I hope this chapter is long enough. I would like to make them even longer. Thank your for the review! ^.^**

**FlightWulf**** - Thank you! I have the basic storyline all planned and know where its going. Now it just has to get there! I'm glad you find this idea interesting. I do too! Hehe. I hope this chapter was long enough for ya. I'm hoping to go even longer without too much time in-between updates. Because honestly, I will go back and read a chapter I wrote and be like "It stops THERE? Who's idea was that? That's not fair!" hahaha. I'm glad you like my deep thinking. I just like to make sure the chapter is understandable. Because what goes on in my head doesn't even make sense to me most of the time... If anything is ever unclear, I urge you to tell me so I can save people the headaches! Thank you for your valuable review!**

**Thank you to all for reading. Any reviews would be oh so appreciated. And if you ever have any ideas (no matter what it is), I love hearing them! Or if something doesn't quite add up, but sure to let me know! I hope you enjoyed it, and the next update should not be too far away :3**

**Respectively yours,**

**F&F**


	3. Chapter 3 - Conflict

**Blame by Faith&Fantasy **

**Wow! So many views! I'm honestly blown away. I NEVER would've thought that this story would evoke this much interest, but I'm so glad it does! Thank you! *bows***

**I played around a lot with this chapter, but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. To avoid confusion, I'll tell you a few things now:**

**- this chapter starts with a flashback-thingie**

**- the chapter then continues from ACE'S POV from about the middle of the last chapter (right before Luffy walked into the treehouse)**

**Also, I use POV a little...incorrectly. Not as in the "I am doing this" or the "I said to him while eating a peanut butter cup" sense. But as in which character (and their thoughts) that part mainly focuses on. I hope that made sense.**

**My apologies for this long A/N. Just trying avoid confusion. **

**This an AU. The characters and their backstories up to a point are the same. Of course, this does not occur in the manga/anime. **

**- OOC **

**- no pairings**

**- rated T for violence (will change to M if requested) **

**- warnings: abuse and violence, mild swearing**

**Summary:**

**Sabo's death hit Ace and Luffy hard. Confused and suffering, Ace looks for someone to take his grief and frustration out on. Someone to take the blame.**

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline. All characters, references to characters, settings, etc. belong to Oda.**

**Answers to reviews are again found after the chapter. Let the feels commence! **

* * *

Chapter 3: Conflict

_**"The most dramatic conflicts are perhaps, those that take place not between men but between a man and himself - where the arena of conflict is a solitary mind." ~ Clark Moustakas**_

_"Hey kid!"_

_A black-haired boy clad in a dirty orange tank top and faded yellow short spun around at the sudden shout in the otherwise quiet forest. An iron staff clutched tightly in his small fist, the boy's eyes darted around anxiously, looking for the source of the sound. His gaze landed on the quivering bushes to his right. The boy tensed, waiting for whatever had called out to appear. He didn't have to wait long._

_ Another boy, this one with blonde hair and a top hat with googles barged through the undergrowth, his face livid. _

_"You! You're the one who stole my treasure!"_

_Stunned, the black haired boy lowered his staff slightly. "What the hell are you talking about?"_

_The blonde stepped forward angrily, standing on his toes to get right in the raven's face. "My treasure! You stole it, I saw you!"_

_The taller boy blinked before scowling at the other child. "I have no idea what you're talking about." The raven shoved the other boy backwards. The blonde stumbled for a moment before landing on the ground with a pained 'umpf'. _

_"Liar!" The blonde shouted while jumping to his feet. He dusted off his blue tailcoat and straightened his top hat before turning to look at the raven. Seeing the confused and annoyed look on the other's face, the blonde child sighed. "I saw you at the Grey Terminal this morning. You were beating up these two big guys with that-" he gestured to the staff the raven clutched in his fist. "-and then you ran off with the brown sack they had been carrying."_

_The dark-haired boy looked surprised. He didn't think anyone had seen him this morning. Shaking his head, his face contorted back into an angry glare. "Prove it."_

_The blonde sent him a withering glance. "You hid it up in that tree along with the rest of the money you've stolen." The boy pointed up to the large tree above their heads._

_The raven gaped at the other boy. He was positive that no one had ever seen him hide his treasure up there. He double, no triple checked! But the child wasn't bluffing. Hand's on his hips and chest swelling with pride, the blonde smiled a smug little grin as he watched agonized shock wash over the other's face._

_His smile didn't last long however. Next thing her knew, he was pressed up against the tree behind him, the iron staff pressed crushingly against his chest. Eyes going wide, the blonde looked up at his dark-haired attacker._

_"Look, if it's a fight you want, you got it. I got that money fair and square from those two guys."_

_"Yeah, and they stole it from me!" The blonde shoved the other boy off of him, causing the taller to stumble in surprise. "Look kid,"_

_"My name's not 'kid'." _

_The blonde blinked. "Fine. My name's Sabo." The raven stayed silent. "...and your name is..?"_

_"...the money is mine. It's my treasure now."_

_Sabo gaped at the boy for a moment before shaking his head. "Sheesh. Look, I know why you need the money." The boy looked at the blonde suspiciously, his iron staff still held defensively. Sabo looked directly into his obsidian eyes. The blonde's deep brown eyes reflecting the other's dark ones, determination shining in both._

_"You want to be a pirate."_

_The raven's eyes grew wide before narrowing suspiciously. "Are you a stalker?"_

_"What!? No!" The blonde shook his head viciously, hands waving in the air. "I saw you staring out to the sea longly after you hid the money this morning." Sabo turned to where he knew the shore was past the base of the mountain. "I've looked like that before too." He turned back to face the dark boy. "I want to be a pirate too."_

_"...So you are a stalker."_

_"Are you even listening!?" Sabo exploded. The blonde let out a sigh, rubbing his temple while scowling. "I want to make a deal with you."_

_The raven lowered his staff a bit. "Explain."_

_"Let's work together! We could get twice the amount of money in half the time. Then we could set out to sea together." Sabo noticed how the other boy wrinkled his nose in distaste at the last part. "Look, I've read books about life at sea. It's way too dangerous for one person to set out alone, no matter how old they are. But with two we could watch each other's backs and all, ya know?"_

_The raven thought about it for a second, his eyes distant, before turning his harsh gaze back to the blonde. "Why should I trust you?"_

_A sly smirk broke out on the top-hatted boy's face. "I've known where your money was hidden since this morning. I easily could've taken it back by now, plus whatever else you have hidden up there."_

_"So, blackmail." _

_"Pretty much, yeah." Sabo replied with a cheeky grin showing a gap where a tooth was missing._

_The raven turned away from the other, thinking. It didn't look like he had much of a choice now. The stupid brat would blab where his money was before he would have a chance to move it. And he had made quite a few enemies since he started his treasure hoard._

_"Fine."_

_"Awesome!" Sabo fist pumped into the air, before sticking his hand out for the other to shake. "Then it's a deal."_

_The dark-haired child looked at the hand before letting his obsidian eyes meet the shining ones of his new partner-in-crime. "Ace."_

_Sabo blinked. "What?"_

_The raven grasped the other's hand firmly, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "The name's Ace."_

* * *

"ARGH!"

Ace slammed his fist into the floorboards next to him, causing some of the wood to splinter. Pain prickled in his knuckles but the boy didn't even notice.

_Why isn't it working? _He clutched the sake bottle in his fist forcefully, the glass threatening to break. The drink was supposed to take his mind off of his lost brother, not bring up even more memories of the boy.

Pissed, the ten-year-old kicked the plate filled with the remains from his hunt to the center of the room, some of it's contents spilling. There was barely any meat left, and what was left would be eaten by maggots and flies by the morning. Ace looked over to where the freshly-tanned bear pelt was hanging to dry. Ace had caught the bear while it was sleeping, his pent up frustration had taken out on the animal in a battle that lasted less than ten minutes.

Sighing, the boy stumbled to his feet and made his way over to the closest window. The moon had disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds and rain was just beginning to fall. Ace pulled curtains over the window, securing them tightly so they wouldn't blow away in the storm. Grunting, Ace leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. He dimly registered that he had left the only lantern that was lit by the plate, but he couldn't care enough to get up.

_I wonder what Luffy's doing. _

Ace shook his head, rubbing the sting from his eyes. He shouldn't care what the brat did. Ace wanted nothing more to do with him

As if on cue, Ace's head snapped up at the sound of rustling coming from just below the treehouse. Putting years of training his ears to use, Ace determined that the sound was from some small creature, most likely a rabbit or a small fox. Tensing in preparation in case his deduction was wrong, Ace leaned to reach for his staff what he suddenly heard the familiar _twang_ of rubber stretching and retracting followed by a _thump_ from which he assumed was two small, sneaker-clad feet landing on the porch outside the hut.

His suspicions were confirmed when he heard the distinctive side-to-side foot hopping motion his little brother was so fond of doing when he was trying to decide what to do. When the younger made no move to enter, Ace decided to call out to him, albeit hesitantly.

"...Luffy?"

"Ace, is that you?" The younger boy replied as he ducked into the hut, eyes blinking in the sudden onslaught of light from the lantern. Ace's own detached gaze widened as he took in his little brother's form for the first time in a week.

The boy was thin, frighteningly so. His shirt and shorts seemed to hang off his body and Ace could make out the defined shape of his jawline and collarbones in the candlelight. His skin had lost it's healthy glow, the tan color replaced by a startling shade of grey.

Eye's finally adjusting, Luffy's nut-brown orbs searched the small space for his brother. They lit up upon landing on him, and Ace noted how even in his unsightly state, the boy's eyes hadn't lost their childish gleam.

He saw Luffy open his mouth to call out to him when he suddenly noticed the discarded pile of bones in the middle of the room. In the blink of an eye, the seven-year-old was at the bones, gnawing on them and slurping away loudly. Ace's face contorted with disgust as he watched saliva and bits of grind fling into the air. He pulled his foot in with detest as a glob of said substance landed on it. He wanted to yell at the kid to get away from his food and get the hell out of his sight.

_But he's so thin..._

Ace shook the thought away. Luffy didn't matter to him anymore. He could care less what happened to the boy. Still, Ace found his eyes roaming over the younger's body with practiced ease, searching for areas of concern. Catching himself, Ace forced himself to look away when Luffy raised his eyes expectantly to him. The kid must've asked a question, but with all the slurping and munching, Ace hadn't noticed. Guessing by the curious look on the younger's face and the way the tiny hands fingered some of the licked-clean bones, Ace deducted that the question had to do with the kind of meat.

_Figures he wouldn't bother asking BEFORE eating. It could've been poisoned and the idiot would've never even known._

Shaking the thought away, Ace answered his brother blankly, finding it hard to actually summon the words to his mouth. "...it's bear."

Luffy stared at Ace with shock that quickly melted into unadulterated admiration. "Onii-chan's so strong!" Ace cringed at Luffy's voice. _God, he gives me a headache._ "And you repaired our fort! It looks so cool!" Ace didn't reply and simply tried to tune out the annoying sound coming from the smaller boy.

"Umm, A-ace?" _Dammit_. Luffy's stuttering voice broke through his wall.

"Hn." Ace noised, hoping the child would hear the annoyance in the simple tone and _just shut up._

"Well, I was wondering if you are going to come back to Dadan's..." No such luck.

"Why would I go back to that shitty place?" Ace replied, his voice louder and more forceful. "This is where I live."

"O-oh. Right." _Finally. He's done with these annoying questions. Why won't he just leave me alone? _Ace intentionally ignored the warning bells in the back of his head that were pointing out his younger brother's obvious sadness and hurt. _He's not my little brother anymore. _

Suddenly remembering the sake bottle still clutched in his hand - when did he start holding onto it so tightly? - Ace lifted the drink to his lips and took a long sip. The alcohol might not be doing anything to stop the heart-tearing memories or his emotions, but the hazy buzz lingering in the back of his mind was _almost_ pleasant. Besides, he went through so much trouble to get the sake from that red-haired old bat in the first place, he wasn't about to just waste it all.

"Ace, is that...sake?" Ace almost choked on the liquid as Luffy's whiny voice cut through his head, effectively shattering to bits whatever had remained of the numbing feeling in his head.

"What does it look like?" Ace growled, now thoroughly pissed at the younger boy. He watched with anger smoldering in his coal-black eyes as the other boy rose from his spot and actually had the gall to approach him.

"Sake." Luffy responded, looking upset. "You stole it from Dadan, didn't you? She won't let it go like last time. She'll be really upset." Oh, so now the brat was bringing _her_ into the conversation. Ace wanted to smack the boy to get him to _just stop talking._

"So what?" He drawled, rising to his feet. He was just trying to get the boy to back off and leave him alone. His headache was worsening, and Luffy's insistent questions were not helping in the least. "That old hag doesn't care crap about us anyway."

He saw the younger's face frown in disagreement, but Luffy didn't say anything.

Ace's eyes narrowed. Why was he even still talking to the kid. He needed to show him his place. "Besides," He continued, taking a threatening step towards the smaller raven. "What I do is none of your damn business." _There. That aught to shut him up. Now he'll leave me alone and I can have some peace. _

The younger stumbled backwards as though Ace had shouted "Boo!", crying out pitifully when his back his the wall. "I-I just don't want you to get in trouble, Ace!"

Ace saw red, and before he knew it he had Luffy's neck grasped tightly in his free hand and the small boy pushed up roughly against the wall, his tiny legs kicking the air. Ace's mouth was parted open in a yell, and he heard words leave it but he wasn't quite sure what he had said. All he knew was that he was _mad_.

Luffy's small hands scrabbled against Ace's hand, trying to pry the fingers off of his neck. Ace watched in disgust as his little brother's eyes started to well with tears._ He's such a crybaby_! Luffy's pathetic gaze met his own, and Ace felt his eyes narrow angrily.

And like that, everything just exploded.

The struggle to hold back had been lost to a red, hot anger.

All he hate, the anguish, and blame just came rushing out of the hard-hearted boy and into the small child in his grasp.

"You took him away! It's all your fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!" With each word that shot searingly out of his mouth, Ace tightened his grip around Luffy's neck, squeezing the air out of his throat.

_He's a murderer! He killed Sabo! He killed my brother!_

Luffy began to gasp for air, his wide eyes filling with panic as his face turned blue. Strangled words bubbled over his lips. "A-ce-pl'se-stpt!"

_He's still talking! No! SHUT UP!_

Ace raised the almost-empty sake bottle high in the air, briefly registering the struggles from the younger boy slowing down. With one last surge of rage, Ace brought the glass bottle down on Luffy's head.

_CRASH_.

Ace released Luffy's neck, the child's limp body falling to the floor with a dull _thump_.

Silence pounding in Ace's ears like ocean waves. The only sound was his own harsh breathing and the steady sound of rain on the wooden roof above. Luffy lay at Ace's feet, unmoving. Taking a shaky breath, Ace raised a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes shakily. He felt the adrenaline rush recede and his headache return full force.

Ace look down at Luffy, numbly registering the ever-so-slight rise and fall of the boys small chest. He was alive, just unconscious.

Almost as though someone else was controlling his body, Ace leanined down and grabbed the boys thin arms roughly. Rain was beginning to seep through the bottom of the window and spread across the floor nearest to the wall. Ignoring the small trail of blood, sake, and glass shards on the floor, Ace dragged Luffy towards the center of the room. The lantern had gone out and the entire hut was bathed in thick darkness. Ace dropped Luffy's body unceremoniously into the center of the floor. He look at the small boy for a moment before heading over to the small chest against the opposite wall. Grabbing two wool blankets, Ace walked back to his brother and quickly spread one over the small form.

Clutching the other blanket, Ace stumbled over to the corner, far away from any windows, and settled down. Exhaustion spread throughout his limbs and his head throbbed painfully. Ignoring this, Ace cocooned himself inside the blanket and curled up, facing the wall. He shut his brain down, not allowing it to think, and let sleep overcome him.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN. Hopefully not as bad as a cliffhanger as the last one? Maybe?**

**This seemed much more graphic than the last chapter. Even though technically the same scene. Hm.**

**Footnotes:**

**- I made up my own "Sabo and Ace meet" backstory. I'm sure there are a ton on FF, but I myself have never personally read one (I don't know why haha). I know it wasn't very complex, but I didn't want to take away from the main storyline too much. I felt like Ace and Sabo would've met in a fight over something stupid, but then Sabo (being the more rational) would try to find a way to avoid fighting. So he used blackmail XD**

**- I'm not sure if Sabo is shorter than Ace or not (the top-hat makes it difficult to tell), but for this I made him an itty-bitty-bit shorter**

**- I hope this doesn't seem like too much of a filler. I honestly thought it would be important to see the previous chapter through Ace's eyes and see his thoughts instead of just "ACE IS HULK-SMASH!" stuff. Although that's fun too. **

**- Ace did ALMOST care for a second, but he let his emotions get out of control. He was too stubborn to see past what he has already decided in his heart: Luffy is at fault for Sabo's death.**

**To my Reviewers!**

**noname**** - I still feel like I'm the one who should be thanking you hahaha. Without you reading it, I wouldn't have a reason to write it! :) That story looks interesting! I will definitely be checking it out. Thanks for the suggestion! Hope you liked this chapter.**

**Resha Tsubaki**** - Something about the idea of the D. Brother bond just going horribly wrong has intrigued me for a while. And TA DA! This was born! The outcome is definitely tragic. :( Thank you for reviewing! I really hope you will continue to read! *begging hands***

**FuuYuki34**** - Haha, a lot of people are very upset about the bottle! As you can see, yes, meanie Ace hit poor Luffy in the head with a SAKE BOTTLE. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CHILD? When writing both of these chapters, I had to keep stopping because my heart was beating so much! And I apologize for the cliff hanger. Hopefully this one isn't as bad? Thank you so much for your review! :3**

**FlightWulf**** - Okay, first I need to tell you that your review LITERALLY had me falling to the floor laughing. Seriously, my dog was very worried. Your response was just so genuinely distraught and pissed at Ace. I LOVED IT. And I really liked how you saw that Ace wasn't drunk when he hit Luffy (as I tried to show better in this chapter). His emotions were just out of control, but he knew what he was doing. Which is bad. I'm a horrible person. And yeah, Dadan is gonna FREAK when Luffy doesn't come back. Well, as freaked as she can be and still retain her "I don't give a rat's ass" look. The Dadan-Luffy scene was fun to write. I was choking on sappyness, so I ended up with Luffy saying something stupid and Dadan yelling at him. *shrugs* just the usual. Anyway, THANK YOU for your review. It was very encouraging to read and I hope you will continue to read/review my little story! :)**

**SABO**** - hehehehe no YOU are awesome for reading this! And I hope you brought tissues for this chapter. It was very sad. I'm sad just thinking about how sad it was T.T Thank you for your review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

**Torao**** - Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I hope you'll read more :D**

**On another note, I uploaded a cover image that I quickly painted myself the other day with some acrylics and oaktag I had laying around. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I'm not a very good people-drawer (I stick mainly to critters), and I can't do that fancy computer art (that stuff is awesome. I so wish I could!). So yeah, just some old fashion paints. Anyway, let me know what ya think of it!**

**I hope you enjoyed (err, as much as you can enjoy someone strangling someone else and hitting them with sake bottles) this chapter. Drop a review, and it would make my day! Chapter four should be up soon. Back to Luffy's POV for that one :)**

**Respectively yours,**

**F&F**


	4. Chapter 4 - Denial

**Blame by Faith&Fantasy**

**OVER 1,000 VIEWS ARE YOU GUYS FOR REAL?! THANK YOU SO MUCH. Never could I have dreamed that this story would attract so much interest. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I love you all. 3**

**I'm sorry. I won't bother putting any excuse. I know this is very late compared to the other updates. I hope you can forgive me.**

**For some reason I had trouble with this chapter. It just felt sluggish. I hope the outcome isn't too terrible. It definitely is not my favorite, but I hope it's still worthy! **

**This an AU. The characters and their backstories up to a point are the same. Of course, this does not occur in the manga/anime. **

**OOC **

**no pairings**

**rated T for violence (will change to M if requested) **

**warnings: abuse and violence, mild swearing**

**Summary:**

**Sabo's death hit Ace and Luffy hard. Confused and suffering, Ace looks for someone to take his grief and frustration out on. Someone to take the blame.**

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline. All characters, references to characters, settings, etc. belong to Oda.**

**Onwards!**

Chapter 4: Denial

**"Delay is the deadliest form of denial" ~ C. Northcote Parkinson**

Fire.

Bright red, orange, and yellow flames danced around him, biting him, burning him.

_No! Not this again! Please. Anything but this!_

The sound of wood splitting echoed in his ears. Luffy felt the ropes around his waist slacken. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, the boy slipped from the remaining ropes and dashed out of the way of the cracking timber.

"Ace! Ace, we have to hurry before-"

Luffy spun around, panic setting in when he saw that his brother was no where to be found. Embers flew into the air, biting the boys skin as the wooden post gave a shuddering moan before collapsing into splinters. Feeling his heartbeat quicken, Luffy's eyes darted around, searching for any hint of the older boy.

"A-ACE!" the young boy's voice cracked in the smoke, followed by sputtering coughs. "ACE!" His mouth was on fire, and his throat felt as though it was closing. Luffy felt his eyes start to sting and fill with tears. Fear coursing through his body, the boy ran, ignoring the flames licking at his arms and legs as he stumbled blindly through the blaze.

Luffy continued to run, only stopping when he noticed that the heat had subsided. Opening his watery eyes wide, the boy saw that the flames had disappeared, the burning trash instead replaced by shadowy trees and bushes.

_What the...is this the forest? How'd I get here?_

The boy blinked the water out of his eyes, looking around curiously. He had no idea where in the forest he was; none of the trees looked familiar.

_I have to find Ace._

Fingering his hat for reassurance, Luffy spun around to go back and find his brother. He didn't go far before he saw the shadowed form of something - or someone - crouching in the clearing ahead. Hope singing his his chest, the young boy sprinted ahead as fast as his small legs could take him.

"Ace! Ace, it's me!"

The figure didn't move, and Luffy started to get worried. Was his brother hurt? As he got closer, Luffy noticed that the figured was huddled over something. Cautiously, a bit afraid of what he would find, Luffy called out.

"Ace? It's me, Luffy. Are you okay?"

When the figure didn't reply, Luffy started to panic.

"Ace! Say something!"

Slowly, the shadowed figure turned to face him, and Luffy felt relief flood his body as he saw that it was indeed Ace and the older boy appeared to be unharmed. Luffy began to run to the boy, but stopped short when he saw the older clutching something in his hands. The object was rather large and appeared to be black in color, although in the dusky light of the forrest it was hard to tell. A sudden break of moonlight through the branches cast a beam of light towards the object, allowing Luffy a brief glance at its true identity.

_A top hat._

Luffy knows that hat. He knows the owner of that hat even better.

_Sabo_.

But why did Ace have Sabo's hat? Sabo was safe. Sabo was with that ugly old guy in that noble house, right?

"Ace?" Luffy called out, approaching his kneeling brother. "Ace, what's going on?" _I'm scared._

Ace started mumbling something in reply, but Luffy couldn't make it out. "Ace, please. I don't understand. Where are we? Wh-where's Sabo? We have to save him!"

Suddenly, Ace turned to look at Luffy, his eyes glowing in the moonlight. Luffy took a step back at the grief and anguish reflected in the obsidian orbs.

"Sabo is dead." Ace's voice dropped like the resounding hit of bell. The words betrayed no emotion; the tone final.

Stunned, Luffy felt his mouth go dry. _No no no no no no. It can't be. Not again. Please_. "You're wrong. Ace, that can't be right. Sabo is at his home safe. But he won't be for long! We need to save him! If we hurry, we can-"

"Sabo is DEAD!" Ace screeched, cutting off the younger. The older raven jumped to his feet, the top hat tumbling to the forest floor and landing with a thud.

"He's never coming back! And it's ALL YOUR FAULT!" Ace flew at Luffy, the boy's arms reaching out to the smaller boy like the claws of some wild beast.

In shock, Luffy found himself unable to dodge from his brother's advances. With a surprised yelp, the small boy felt a hand grasp around his wrist, the grip painful.

"You will pay for taking him away from me. You killed my brother. You're a murderer." Ace's voice spat venom, each word sending daggers into the younger's heart.

Luffy wanted to deny it. He wanted to scream and cry and plead. But his mouth wouldn't work. The shadows around him began closing in, smothering and choking him. Luffy felt a warm wetness pool under the grip on his wrist. Terrified, Luffy could only watch as ruby-colored drops of liquid dribbled down his hand and onto the ground in soft pats.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Each drop resonated in his ears. Luffy tried to struggle, yet his body remained motionless. Darkness swathed around him, slowly swallowing the two boys. Just as Ace completely disappeared into the shadows, Luffy heard the boy speak to him again. The voice was so distorted by hate that he could barely even recognize it as his brother's.

"You will _pay_".

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

With a breathless gasp, Luffy jolted to a sitting position, tossing the blanket ensnared around his legs. Distorted, the boy looked around, gathering his surroundings.

_Wha... A dream? No, a nightmare._

Shaken, Luffy rubbed his eyes, dispelling the tendrils of his fitful sleep.

_Drip. Drip. Drip_.

Freezing, Luffy listened to the sound of liquid hitting something hard. Flashes of the nightmare rushed through his mind as his heart pounded and his throat closed up in fear. Opening diluted eyes, Luffy anxiously looked around.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Swiveling his head to the right, Luffy noticed water leaking in through the windowsill. Remnants of last night's storm gathered in the cracks in the wood, running together to form fat drops that fell to the wood bellow with loud _splats_.

Feeling his heart slow down and his breathing return to normal, Luffy started to assess the situation. He was in the fort, wrapped in a woolen blanket. Alone.

Luffy tried to remember last night. He remembered talking to Dadan and Dogra. He remembered their faces looking... weird. Not right. He remembered getting a drink of water from the river.

Groaning, Luffy held his head. All this thinking was giving him a headache. Come to think of it, his head throbbed something awful. Carding his fingers through his raven locks, Luffy felt his scalp sting and his fingers touch something crusty. Face contorting in disgust, Luffy quickly removed his hand and wiped the mystery residue on his pants, not even wanted to know what kind of crap he must've clumsily fallen into.

Discarding the rest of the blanket that was still half-draped over his body, Luffy rose to his feet to stretch. The young boy stumbled a bit, holding his head as the room around him spun and his vision danced. When he felt balanced, Luffy looked around. Whatever he had eaten last night had not sat with him well. First weird dreams and now dizziness? Luffy made a mental note to be more careful with what he ate, a message that was quickly forgotten as a new thought entered his mind. He was very thirsty.

Luffy licked his dry lips and swallowed, only to break into a coughing fit as his throat spasmed. _What's going on?_ Not allowing himself time to think, Luffy rushed to the basin near the door that they used for washing. Noting that the water was clean and unused - _Ace must've filled it this morning_ - Luffy cupped his hands and drank the room-temperature water. Throat stinging, Luffy drank until he felt his throat loosen.

Satisfied, the young boy sat back on his heels. This had never happened to him before. Was he getting sick? It had rained last night. Maybe he had gotten his feet wet and hadn't realized. The more Luffy though about it, the less he could remember what had actually happened last night. Bits of his nightmare blurred with reality until he could no longer think straight.

_I have to find Ace_.

That single thought wiped all other fragments of memories from his exhausted brain. He needed to see his brother. He was hungry.

A moment later, rustling was heard outside. Tensing slightly, Luffy waited, only to relax as he watched his brother move into the hut, dragging what appeared to be a large rabbit. Noticing the small boy by the wash basin, Ace momentarily turned a questioning gaze to Luffy, only to brush it off.

"You're awake." he grunted, pulling the rabbit to the corner of the room. Ace began tying rope hog-style around it's limbs to string the carcass up on a peg in the wall. Luffy staggered to his feet to assist, but the bigger boy just waved him off as he expertly tied the knots.

"Is that breakfast?" Luffy asked, feeling drool collect in his mouth.

"Mhm" Ace noised affirmatively with a piece of rope clutched between his teeth. With a final heave, the boy lifted the large beast into the air, lassoing the rope around the peg and checking it's strength. Satisfied, the boy walked to the basin, rinsing his hands.

"Yosh!" Luffy fist pumped into the air and darted over the the rabbit, only to be stopped by a hand clutching the back of his shirt. Surprised, Luffy turned around to see Ace, the older's face holding no emotion.

"Not yet." Ace drawled, releasing the younger's shirt, causing the small boy to stumble. "We are long over-due for training."

"Training?" Luffy questioned. He hurt all over. Truthfully, Luffy felt as thought someone hit him with a boulder and his throat felt like he had eaten a pail full of nails. Whining, Luff voiced the most important thought on his mind. "But I'm hungry."

"You can eat once you've deserved it." Ace stated, his tone leaving no room for arguing. He moved towards the door and out of the hut. "Let's go."

Bewildered, Luffy was left with no other choice but to follow.

* * *

"I'll go first, Ace!" Luffy called out to his brother who stood at the opposite side of the clearing, his arms crossed and face unreadable. The boys hadn't sparred since Sabo's death, and truthfully the sandy training grounds felt a bit empty and ominous. Shaken the feeling off, Luffy set his feet and readied his fist. Pulling his arm back and winding up, he called out, sure he would make a hit this time.

"Gomu gomu no-"

But before the smaller raven could launch his attack, Ace was there, the older boy appearing seemingly out of no where. Stunned, Luffy hesitated, and that was all it took. Ace lashed out, landing a well-aimed kick to the smaller's stomach and sending him flying back into the tree behind him. Luffy hit the bark with a painful _thud_ as all his air rushed out of him. Slumping to the ground, Luffy crouched on hands and knees, gasping for breath.

But Ace was too quick. Before he could even look up, Luffy felt a strong punch connect wit his left cheek, throwing his light body to the ground once more. His mind stunned blank, the younger looked up as his brother's face moved into his line of vision.

"You're too slow. You spend too much time on the preparation. The enemy could've easily killed you by now." Ace said in monotone, emphasizing his words with a sharp kick to the smaller boy's side.

Luffy let out a pained cry, curling up on instinct.

"Oh come on, you crybaby." Ace sneered down at the younger, raining more kick and punches on the younger's frail body. "You're weak! Get up!"

Luffy was confused. Why was this hurting? He was made out of rubber! He knew Ace was strong, but his brother would never really hurt him. It must just be because he's sick. That's it. Whatever sickness he had must be making Ace's hits hurt that much more.

"Come on! I said get up!" Another harsh kick to the side. At this point, Luffy was afraid something would break.

_Please, stop. It hurts._ Luffy felt tears gather in the corner of his eyes, but he pushed them back. He wasn't a crybaby!

_But this is too much._

"Ace, please stop! I'm done."

But he didn't. The older kept hitting him, each punch blurring into the next. It was as though he couldn't even hear the smaller. Growing desperate, Luffy tried again.

"Ace! STOP. You win! Please, it hurts!" Luffy screeched, his voice growing raw.

Stunned, Ace paused mid-swing, lowering his fist to his side. As though awakening from a trance, the older blinked owlishly, before shaking his head violently and breathing heavily.

"Tch. Pathetic. You haven't gotten stronger at all."

The words hurt more than the kicks.

Luffy stayed curled on the ground where he was, his eyes following his brother as the older walked to the chalkboard, adding another tally next to the slot labeled 'Ace'.

"Get up." The older said, turning back to his brother.

Luffy quietly obeyed, unsteadily rising to his feet. Ace eyed him up and down, his gaze narrowing into a judgmental glare.

"Can you walk?"

Luffy nodded, albeit hesitantly and while clutching his side tenderly. The smaller boy slowing limped over to his brother, keeping a wary distance from the older.

"Can... can we eat now... please? I'm hungry." Luffy mumbled quietly, hopefully.

Ace scrutinized the younger. "I'm not sure that you deserved it."

Luffy felt cold fear drop into his stomach. He was starving.

"Go to Dadan's and clean yourself up. If you're fast enough I might save you something."

Luffy looked up hopefully, searching his brother's gaze.

But the older's eyes betrayed nothing, his stare blank.

"Go, quickly. Or you won't get anything."

Not daring to take any chances, Luffy turned away, hobbling quickly in the direction of the bandit's hut. His mind was occupied by only once thought: food.

His back turned, the younger boy missed the satisfied gleam in the older's eyes and the way his hand twitched.

A tiny droplet of blood fell from Ace's hand.

_Drip_.

* * *

**DONE. Ugh, why was this one hard? Anyway, I hoped you guys still liked it. I really do love writing for you guys, and I love writing this story. This chapter was just harder compared to the others :P**

**Footnotes:**

** - Now you know where the cover photo is from! I know it's bad that I had that picture finished way before this chapter was posted. But now you know! (cue Bill Nye the Science Guy music) :D**

** - I had said this in the first chapter's footnote, but I think it's important to put again. Ace is unknowingly using haki. This is why his kicks, punches, etc. is causing Luffy harm. He doesn't know that. Luffy doesn't know that (that's why he's so confused), but we know that MWAHAHAHA. I think it's just important to keep in mind. Without that bit, Ace wouldn't be able to harm Luffy. Which would be good for Luffy, but bad for the plot of the story.**

**To the Reviewers****! **

**Guest**** - It seems I have trapped another innocent reader mwahahaha! Thank you SO much for reading. I am the same way with stories. I get so excited reading one and so upset when an author gives up on them. I DO NOT WANT TO BE THAT AUTHOR. I am continuing this story until it's completion. That is my duty as it's author. And even if I don't have time, I will still write it. If it takes longer for updates (like this one was), I will apologize and try to do better. But it is for people like you that I write for! So i will not let you down! Thank you for reading! :)**

**FuuYuki34**** - Ahhh nooo not the puppy eyes! D: I'm sorry for the continuing cliff hangers. But how else would I get y'all to come back? *evil smirk* I hope you'll keep reading and reviewing. You've reviewed for each one and that makes me so unbelievably happy! THANK YOU!**

**Torao**** - I look forward to the next update too! Because then I can not be drowning in guilt for not updating! Haha, thank you for reading and for your review! :3**

**Miki**** - Yay! I have sucessfully broken someone's heart! Am I supposed to be happy about this? I'm so glad you liked the different POV. It was fun. Sorry that this chapter wasn't (in my opinion) as interesting. I'm really excited about the next one though. No spoliers~~ hehe. Thank you for your review and for reading!**

**noname**** - awwwww, thank you! I'm glad you liked my crappy picture! Well, now you have the story behind the crappy picture! Woo! Thank you for reading. I'm glad you liked Ace's POV. It was a lot more fun than it should've been haha. Thanks for the review! :)**

**Llaelien**** - Thank you! I'm sorry this update wasn't very quick. I'm guilty. But I hope you will keep reading! I'll keep writing! Thank you for your review!**

**LovelyMinx17**** - Mndrifmrf, okay. So your absolutely brilliant story Silent is a fic I was reading before I got the guts to join FF. And I love that story. So when you reviewed I got so excited and I was able to re-find your story to give you a review and fav and whatnot. So yeah, mini fangirl moment but you know, no biggie *dies*. Anywho, thank you very much for your interest. Poor Luffy isn't faring too well. But I guess we will just have to wait and see! Thanks for your review! I hope you'll keep reading! :D**

**Satan-chan**** - Mwhehehehe (I suppose that's like a mini-evil giggle?) you will just have to read to find out! I know I'm so mean to Luffy. But I can't help it. I hope you aren't too depressed! It's all planned out, so don't worry! I hope you'll keep reading! Thank you for your review!**

**Resha Tsubaki**** - Good question! I answered it above in the footnotes incase anyone else had the same question. Ace is using small amounts of haki to harm Luffy. Since Garp hurt Luffy that way, I figured it could be the same for Ace. That's how Luffy hurt his ankle and how Luffy got hurt in this chapter as well. Thank you for helping to to clear that up! Let me know if anything else doesn't make sense. I really appreciate it! :)**

**Illumanati-4**** - FINALLY SOMEONE ASKS ABOUT THE LETTER! You get a gold star! Haha I was wondering if anyone would notice that! That's so awesome! All very good questions, but I'm afraid I can't say anything without spoiling too much! I'm sorry. But you are on the right track asking about Dadan and Garp! Also, I'm so pleased that you noticed how hurting Luffy numbed Ace. You see it again in this chapter I think. Yup, looks like he found something to take his mid of Sabo. Unfortunately, at poor Luffy's expense. And if Sabo knew what was going on... let's just say I would NOT want to be anywhere near there. Thank you so much for your review. I'm glad you think this is intense. I think so too. I apologize if this chapter was icky (I just think it was, so I feel the need to apologize), but hopefully the next ones will be much better! Thank you for reading and I hope you will continue to do so! :3**

**In other news, I am in the process of getting my second story ready to be posted. It is another One Piece fic (I thought I would stay in this fandom for now) and it's a Fantasy, Modern AU. This is a fic that I had tumbling around even before Blame actually, but I wanted to hold off on it. I think some of you might really enjoy it. It's different from this fic, but similar at the same time. DON'T WORRY. Blame will still be my priority. I honestly don't know when I will get around to posting the other. Probably not until I have a few more chapters of Blame completed and a nice stock of the new story's chapters as well. I just thought I would let you guys know if you were interested. I'll just say one word.**

**Dragons.**

**Okay, that's all. I hope you enjoyed this update. Reviews are very much appreciated. Let me know if you would rather a PM reply then one in the actual chapter itself. See you soon!**

**Respectively yours,**

**Faith&Fantasy**


	5. Chapter 5 - Help

**Blame by Faith&Fantasy**

**You all continue to amaze me. Thank you for your continued support of this story. Your reviews, favorites, follows, and views lift my heart up in so many ways. I cannot wait to keep writing for you. Thank you.**

**I apologize for this chapter being a bit on the shorter side. It is almost exactly the same length as the last chapter. Some of this chapter was attached to chapter four, but I changed it before posting. I like to try to keep like-settings together if possible. Longer chapters are in the works. It all depends on where a good place to divide the action of the story is. I hope you like it!**

**This is an AU. The characters and their backstories up to a point are the same. Of course, this does not happen in the manga/anime.**

**- OOC **

**- no pairings**

**- rated T for violence (will change to M if requested) **

**- warnings: abuse and violence, mild swearing**

**Summary:**

**Sabo's death hit Ace and Luffy hard. Confused and suffering, Ace looks for someone to take his grief and frustration out on. Someone to take the blame.**

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline. All characters, references to characters, settings, etc. belong to Oda.**

**Without further adieu...**

* * *

Chapter 5: Help

**_"No one stands so straight as when he stoops to help a boy" ~ Knights of Pythagoras_**

Dadan could remember the first time Ace came home bloody.

The boy couldn't have been older than seven, the age Luffy is now. It had been late at night, and Dadan, although she would never admit it, was beginning to worry. The boy usually left for the day but was back by dinner at the latest. Even back then, Ace hunted Mt. Corvo's beasts and brought the carcasses back to be cooked. But the boy hadn't returned. Just as Dadan had decided to send a search party out for the boy - _not that she was worried, but Garp would have her head if something happened -_ the door slammed open.

There stood Ace, all four feet of him, dripping in blood. Bruises littered his arms and his right eye was almost swollen shut. His hands looked like he had been finger painting, but Dadan had a sickening hunch that the red was not paint. The metal pole clutched in the boy's hand was also covered in the same substance. There was no way all the blood had come from the small boy, there was just too much.

That had been the first time, of many, that Ace had come home from a fight. The bandits never asked the boy why, but they didn't need to. They just knew. Ace had been a child of the shadows; he knew what they said about him and it was almost as though he could hear their darkest thoughts of the boy. Their fears.

So Dadan and the rest of the bandits could only watch as the bruises on the dark raven's body became fewer and the blood on his hands thickened, seeming to stain the pale skin. And it scared them. Not so much for themselves, for the boy would've lashed out at them a long time ago, but for the lad himself. They worried that his mind would become so broken that there would be no saving the innocent and pure child trapped inside the monster he had become.

But then something did change. First it was Sabo, then Luffy. Two boys, both children in their own right. Nothing more, nothing less. But yet, they had the power to release Ace from his demons and rescue the boy from himself. And before long, Ace stopped coming home bloody. The gleam in his eyes that held so much hate for his own existence and the world that damned him grew weaker until it disappeared altogether. Instead, the boy walked in the door smiling, laughter rushing from his lips like teasing and playful winds carrying the promise of life and happiness. Somehow, those two idiots had managed to release Ace from the depths of an abyss that no adult even dared to reach towards. For the first time in ten years, when Dadan thought of Ace she smiled.

But now, another boy stood bloodied at her door, staining the threshold red once more.

"Luffy!" Dadan exclaimed, her cigarette falling from her lips unto the floor. The smallest boy stood slumping just inside the door, exhaustion written clear on his face. Pochi barked worriedly behind the boy, but Dadan payed him no notice as she examined the child. Luffy's lip was busted and blood flowed from the cut, staining the boy's chin and splattering the front of his yellow tank top. More blood was steadily oozing from his hairline, clumping and matting the hair. His clothes were dirty and ripped in some places, scratches littering his arms and legs.

Dadan blinked, only just then realizing that Luffy had already limped away from the door and was moving towards the washroom. "L-luffy, wait!" Dadan called to the boy, her shock causing her to stutter.

But Luffy simply muttered something about "Ace", "food", and "hurry" before quietly closing the thick, wooden door.

Dadan sat bewildered, the usually-talkative brat's subdued appearance throwing her for a loop. It wasn't until she registered the soft sound of water splashing that Dadan shook herself out of the trance. Pochi walked over to the door Luffy had disappeared behind, whining softly and pawing at the wood. Dadan called the small dog over, and patting him lightly, commanded the dog to fetch the other bandits who were out on a search mission for the very boy that was behind that door.

When Luffy hadn't returned last night, Dadan had started to panic. Only a little of course, she was a bandit after all. But some instinct in her alarmed her of their littlest one's safety, and after breakfast, Dadan sent all the bandits out to look for the brat. But somehow, Luffy had come home, and not in good shape.

Deciding she could do nothing until the boy emerged, Dadan settled back down, lighting a new cigarette and taking a deep drag before exhaling slowly. She watched, her mind wandering, as a fuzzy yellow caterpillar inched it's way across the nearby windowsill almost making it to the other side, only to be captured in the sharp beak of a scarlet tanager and whisked away in a flash of red wings.

All she could do was wait.

* * *

Luffy let out a hiss as soap dribbled into the cut on his head. Today's training had really taken its toll on him. _I must be losing my edge_. Luffy thought, humming. _I'll just have to work harder!_

An angry growl from his stomach reminded the boy of the urgency of the task at hand. Deeming himself clean, Luffy picked up the small barrel of warmed water and tipped it over his head and he bent over. Luffy watched as suds washed out of his hair onto the floor, bubbling a slight pink color. A flash of something reflecting the light caught his eye. Blinking the last of the water droplets away, the boy bent over painfully, his fingers carefully grasping the small object.

_Is this glass? Why is there glass here?_

Noticing more shards, Luffy carefully picked up pieces of the green glass until he had a small pile sparkling in the palm of his hand. Unsure of what to do, Luffy left the glass shards on the small table next to the door. _I'm sure the bandits will know what to do with it, and where it came from._

Drying himself of thoroughly, Luffy walked over to the opposite wall and opened the third drawer of a small, bamboo dresser set in the corner of the room, far from the washing basins. Removing some clothing that Makino had given him on her last visit, Luffy began putting the garments on: a red tank top with a graphic and another pair of ripped-cuff, blue shorts. Luffy grabbed his hat from the dresser, inspecting his treasure for any damage. Pleased that the straw hat seemed unharmed, Luffy carefully opened the door to the main room of the bandit hideout, wincing as his muscles protested under the strain of moving the heavy door. The warm water had helped, but Luffy still ached all over from training.

Stepping out into the room, Luffy almost tripped over the form of Dadan who was seated against the wall to his immediate left. Turning, Luffy was thoroughly surprised to see the red-haried woman's brow furrowed in concern.

"Where were you last night?"

Stunned by Dadan's bluntness, Luffy could only gape, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Blinking, Luffy replied. "I was with Ace."

Alarm flashed in Dadan's eyes, but it was quickly overpowered by suspicion. "Ace? I haven't seen Ace in days."

"That's because he's been at our secret hideout!" Luffy exclaimed, face beaming. "Ace was repairing the fort from the big storm since we never got to finish because that's when Sabo..." Luffy trailed off, pain and grief starting to well up in his nut-brown eyes. Dadan could only watch in silent horror as those feelings were pushed down, instead masked by a smile and closed eyes that were just so _fake_ it hurt to look at.

"But Ace repaired it so it's great! It looks so cool!"

_Why don't you let yourself be sad?_

Dadan just stared at her youngest charge, millions of emotions swirling through her brain. Her thoughts were interrupted when a sound akin to a dying animal resonated from the boy. Or more precisely the boy's stomach.

Luffy, too, looked down in surprise at said offender, poking his tummy experimentally. Without another word, the seven-year old turned and started making his way towards the door.

Alarmed, Dadan rose to her feet. "Where are you going, brat? You're hurt and need to be treated, you idiot."

Frowning, Luffy turned back to the woman. "It's just some scratches. We were training."

"Who? You and Ace? You've never come back that beat up before."

Something like disappointment flitted across the boys face. "I lost." He stated quietly. "But it's okay. I just need to practice more! I've been on a sort of break." Luffy faked enthusiasm, his exhausted body struggling to play the part.

Not buying a single word, Dadan wordlessly made her way over to a chest near the door to her own sleeping quarters. Withdrawing a roll of bandages and some medicinal tape, Dadan walked back over to the small boy. "Let me wrap that cut on your head. You're going to bleed all over your clothes and I'm not washing anymore of your shit." Dadan stated gruffly, cigarette grinding beneath her teeth.

Surprised, Luffy lifted his hand to his hairline, only to see blood dotting the tips of his fingers when he withdrew his hand. Seeing no other option, Luffy obliged, settling into a relaxed stance.

Dadan kneeled in front of the boy, unrolling the bandages and beginning to wrap them around the boy's head while being mindful of the silky locks of raven hair. Taping the bandage securely in place, Dadan admired her work, deeming it suitably for the time being. The cut didn't seem too major, but the nasty bump around the area concerned her. The injury was definitely older than a few hours ago. Dadan took in the boys slight figure, seemingly thinner in just the one night he was gone.

"Luffy." Dadan called, rousing the boy from a daydream. "When was the last time you ate?"

Caught of guard, Luffy tried to answer. But he couldn't. For possibly the first time in his life, he didn't know. "Well, I didn't have breakfast." He stated simply.

"You and Ace didn't catch anything?"

"No. Or, Ace did. But he said I couldn't eat until after training." Luffy replied, his eyes watching intently as a butterfly wandered in through the open window, following a path that only it could see.

"Why's that?"

"Well, he said I had to earn in." Luffy replied unconcerned, as it if was the most natural thing in the world.

_Training on an empty stomach?_ Dadan thought in suspicion. There was no benefit from doing that.

"That reminds me!" Luffy exclaimed, jumping to his feet in sudden vigor. "I have to get back! Or there won't be any left!"

Dadan's eyes widened in shock. "You still haven't eaten?" It was well past noon.

"Uh uh." Luffy noised in confirmation, stumbling towards the door to slip on his sandals.

"Luffy wait." Luffy came to a reluctant halt at Dadan's surprisingly soft voice. The woman was reaching into the cooking pot hanging at the center of the room and withdrawing a small leg of meat. Most likely from a turkey.

"Take this." She said gruffly, handing the boy the leg. Luffy stared at the gift in bewilderment. Dadan _never_ gave him meat. Just that crappy rice. And the meat was even slightly warm, having been heated by the remaining embers from the fire below. Why was she being so mice all of a sudden? He looked up into the woman's eyes in hopes of an answer.

"Just in case." The red-head responded, removing her spent cigarette and tossing it in a nearly-full ashtray.

Luffy took the meat and smiled a small, genuine smile. "Thank you. But Ace won't forget about me. He is my brother, after all." With that, the straw-hatted boy turned on his heel and dashed out of the hut.

Dadan desperately hoped he was right.

* * *

"But that doesn't make any sense. The boy is made of rubber."

Dadan had just finished detailing the events of what had transpired to Dogra as the two sat down for dinner. The bandits had returned home thanks to Pochi's message, exhausted but relieved to hear that Luffy was okay. A few grumbled about "that damn brat", but a glare from Dadan quickly shut them up.

Now, in a similar fashion to the previous night, Dogra and Dadan sat muling over their charges.

"And you haven't seen Ace, correct?" Dogra continued.

"Not at all. But Luffy said they trained today so he must be fine." The sight of the smallest boy standing at the door haunted Dadan. It hit too close to home with what used to happen with Ace. Was history repeating itself? Lifting the alcohol bottling in her hand, Dadan took a deep swig, attempting to drown out the worrying thoughts.

"Boss!"

Dadan nearly choked on the liquid at the call. Snorting like an angry beast, Dadan turned to see what imbecile had _dared_ to bother her, only to cut short the insult when she saw the concerned face of Magra.

"Boss," He repeated approaching the woman and settling down on her other side. "I was cleaning the washroom and found this." Magra opened his large hand to reveal a tiny pile of glass shards.

Intrigued, Dadan picked up a shard, holding it up to the light of the burning lamps. The glass glinted maliciously in the flickering glow, it's deep green coloring very familiar.

Sudden realization struck her and a feeling like barbed wire coiling at the pit of her stomach.

The glass was from a sake bottle. And not just any sake bottle, but one of her own.

If there was one thing Dadan treasured, it was a clean bath. To her, the washroom was sacred, a place to cleanse oneself of worries, guilts, and cares. Therefore, a rule was set that no alcohol was to enter the washroom for fear of the bottles becoming a hazard and ruining the safe haven. None of her bandits had ever broken this rule, and Dadan didn't expect them to now, no matter how drunk they might be.

A closer look confirmed her fears. The shard of glass had flecks of dried blood on it.

Glancing up at Magra and then Dogra, Dadan saw her same thought process running through her most trusted men. Only one person had been in the washroom today.

_Luffy, what happened to you?_

**I just love writing scenes with Dadan. She tries to act all tough, but she's really just a big softy!**

**Footnotes:**

**- I don't want to say to much, but a person note on the tanager and caterpillar that may help with understanding. As a avid bird watcher, I have seen two male scarlet tanagers break into a brutal conflict over a caterpillar once. It was shocking to see these strikingly beautiful birds get so vicious at each other. When one of the birds won the caterpillar, the two went back to normal and even roosted in the same tree for long time with no issue. This quick-change attitude is a point I mean to get across in this chapter. Of course, the caterpillar represents something too...but I've said too much already.**

**To the Reviewers! **

**LovelyMinx17**** - Well, if you're "weird" for reading fics like this, what does that make me for writing them? Haha, I'm the same way. I like reading/writing about my favorite characters in horrible situations. That cannot be healthy. But neither are Reeses, and I ain't gonna stop eating those anytime soon. Glad you liked my review! ANYONE READING THIS should go check out "Silent" by this wonderful author. If you like AceLu, school settings, and beautiful writing check out this fic. It's awesome, as are all this writer's fics. Hope you didn't mind my shameless plug there, LovelyMinx17, but it's the least I can do for your reviews. They mean a lot! Hope this chapter was satisfactory. Not much happening, but some more inside information I hope. :)**

**Guest**** - I HAVE A LIFE?! Woah, never noticed. Hahaha, thank you! You are so supportive! Your reviews flatter me, and I am very proud to write for you. I like my lurky guests. Not everyone wants to write, some just want to read! And there's nothing wrong with that at all. Now about that good feels ending... haha just kidding. I can't tell you because that ruins the fun, although I wish I could. Hm, so i suppose my goal now should be to make my readers cry. I'll work on that for next time for sure! Here's a 2am update to go with your 2am review! Cheers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will stick around for more to come! :D**

**lany-chan**** - Yes, nothing says badass like Ace! More of that to come! Thank you for your review! :)**

**FuuYuki34**** - If I lie and say that is isn't Luffy's blood dripping from Ace's hand, will you not hurt me? *hides under covers* You make me feel so guilty for being the author. Haha I love it XD Thank you for your review. I apologize about the length; I know this chapter isn't any longer. It just depends on where a good stopping point in the action of the story is for splitting it up. Hopefully coming chapters will be longer! I hope you'll stick around! I really appreciate your reviews. **

**xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx**** - I can see it now: Ace, sitting at a desk job. Surrounding by people like Luffy working for him. Grasped in his right hand, squeezing the very life essence out of and essentially murdering...a pineapple-shaped stress ball. Haha, I had one when I was younger, but then my dog tore it up (she needed the stress relief I suppose). But if your half a sadist...then I'm worse than that for writing this...uh oh. Eh, too late now! I'm sorry for being so mean to your baby. And yes, it will get harder from here for him...BUT I cannot write death scenes. At least not of that caliber.**

**...**

**But that's not to say I can't write near-death. I hope you'll keep reading! :D**

**The Lillyz**** - It is very unacceptable, I agree! What was that crazy author thinking? Wait... Haha, thank you for your review. I hope you liked the update and will read on!**

**SkittlesTheUnicorn**** - Mission accepted: make reader cry by end on fic. Difficulty: pretty dang hard. But I am up for the challenge! We are just getting started~~ Next chapter I am definitely digging into my feels ammo box. I read you loud and clear. Weird days trigger the best, honest thoughts, so I appreciate your weird-day review! Thank you for your kind words, I really look forward to writing more for you! :)**

**That's it for right now. Another update is on the way. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I did have a bit of fun writing it. Sorry if it seemed filler, but with the intense action of the last chapter I felt the need for some smoother waters to sail for a bit (anyone? pirates? no? okay). ^.^ **

**Respectively yours,**

**FaithandFantasy**


	6. Chapter 6 - Betrayal

**Blame by Faith&Fantasy**

**The kindness on this sight astounds me. You all are such kind people, I never imagined all support I would be given here. Thank you to you all, I am forever grateful!**

**Here's the next chapter. A bit longer of a wait for this one, and I apologize because it isn't super long either. I'm just trying to break up the action of the story evenly. **

**This is an AU. The characters and their backstories up to a point are the same. Of course, this does not**

** - OOC **

** - no pairings**

** - rated T for violence (will change to M if requested) **

** - warnings: abuse and violence, mild swearing**

**Summary:**

**Sabo's death hit Ace and Luffy hard. Confused and suffering, Ace looks for someone to take his grief and frustration out on. Someone to take the blame.**

**Disclaimer: I own only the storyline. All characters, references to characters, settings, etc. belong to Oda.**

**Please enjoy!**

Chapter 6 : Betrayal

**"Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime" ~ Mineko Iwasaki**

The sun shimmered lightly as Luffy continued his trudge back to the fort. Spring was finally here. It was almost as if the whole universe had refused to keep turning when Sabo died; the weather had stayed could and dreary for a long time.

Luffy shook the sad thoughts away, instead thinking of what his spring would hold for him. Lots of training, he guessed. _Gramps will be visiting again soon_. Luffy shivered at the thought of his aggressively exuberant grandfather. The man always had time off in the early spring, and used to visit Luffy for a week or so for some quality marine training.

_I wonder what Dadan will tell Gramps. _Luffy fingered the bandages around his head. Ace never wrapped his injuries so thoroughly, but Luffy figured this was from lack of experience. Luffy had no idea where the cut came from. He didn't think he had hit his head while training, but he supposed it was possible. A light smile graced the young boy's face. Even though she was just an old lady, Dadan wasn't as mean as she came across. She was actually an okay person.

_For a bandit._

Licking the turkey-leg bone, Luffy watched as small, colorful birds flitted amidst the tree tops. The bright little creatures made Luffy think of Makino. The kind, young woman loved birds.

**Flashback**

_"What's that one called?"_

_A young woman wearing a pink blouse and a jean skirt turned to the child. Pushing a strand of green hair behind her yellow bandana, she placed the dish she was washing down on the counter and walked towards the boy. Wiping her hands on her skirt, she looked out the window the young boy had his face plastered against, his messy raven hair splayed across the glass. _

_A small, yellow bird with brown-tipped wings tittered excitedly at the birdbath located outside the window. The bird fluttered its wings, sending water into the air as each droplet sparkled in the mid-day sunlight._

_Smiling, the woman glanced down at the child, who looked back up at her with eager eyes. "A yellow warbler." she answered her voice soft like cotton. _

_"Wow." The young boy awed, turning back to the happy bird. "Is it a girl birdie or a boy birdie?" _

_"A girl. See how her back has that almost greenish-grey color? It helps the momma bird hide in her nest so predators don't find her or her babies."_

_"Predators like Mr. Whiskers?" the boy asked, innocent nut-brown eyes wide._

_Blinking, the woman looked down at the fat brown tabby who was contentedly sprawled out in a sunbeam on the wooden floor. As though he heard his name, the cat twitched his tail, nose wriggling slightly._

_"Yes, just like Mr. Whiskers. But I don't think this little bird has to worry about Mr. Whiskers today." the young woman laughed softly, ruffling the boys dark locks affectionately_.

**End Flashback**

Luffy blinked. He had learned many bird names from Makino, but he honestly couldn't remember most of them. _Maybe next time I see her I can ask._

Luffy wondered when Makino would visit again. Part of him still wished he lived with the kind woman. Life had been so easy: Shanks would visit, he could play all day long and never have to worry about being hungry, and the townsfolk always took such good care of him.

Luffy shook his head. No. It was better to leave. If he hadn't, he would've never met Ace. Or Sabo. His brothers would've lived their lives without ever knowing him and he would've never known them. The two older boys probably never would've built the fort! If Ace and Sabo had never met him, then...

_"You took him away! It's all your fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!"_

Luffy froze, shocked. What was that? A memory? But from when? It sounded like Ace's voice...

Startled, the boy rubbed his face a little violently. He was just imagining things. He always got like this when he was hungry.

Finally reaching the fort, the young boy scrabbled up the rope ladder, quick as a ship rat. Expertly dodging hidden traps and alarms, Luffy made it to the top, turkey bone clenched tightly between his teeth.

The smell of roasted meats wafted from the fort. Eager, Luffy burst into the room, mouth dribbling with drool.

Ace stood off to the side, something shiny gripped in his hands. A flash a green glass caught Luffy's eye.

_Dark spots crowding his vision. Burning, searing pain racing up and down his throat as he struggled to breathe. Obsidian eyes glinting with madness looked down on him as something green and shiny came hurdling towards him, glinting in the moonlight._

_Then darkness._

"...uffy? Luffy?"

Blinking, Luffy was startled from his memories. But that never happened... He looked over at Ace. His brother was looking at him strangely, hands at his hips, empty. Nothing green or shiny between his dirty, calloused fingers.

Weird.. Luffy brushed it off, and smiled at his older brother. "Dadan fixed me up, Ace! Look!" He pointed to the bandage wrapped around his head.

Ace scowled. "You didn't need a bandage. Are you really that weak?"

Luffy paused. "W-well, she insisted. Said I had a nasty bump on my head. I don't remember hitting my head though..." Luffy trailed off, uncertain.

Ace's eyes flashed, but Luffy didn't notice. "I see." The boy turned away.

A loud grumble brought Luffy back from his thoughts. Looking down, his small stomach protested loudly at the smell of food. Grinning, Luffy hopped over to Ace. "So where's the meat? I'm hungry~" Luffy whined loudly.

Ace looked down at his little brother, his face set in a scowl. "What's that" He asked, pointing down at the turkey bone grasped Luffy's left hand.

Caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, Luffy looked down, smiling softly at the bone. "Dadan gave me a turkey leg to eat before I came here. Can you believe that? Dadan NEVER gives us food!"

Ace violently wrenched the bone from the smaller boy's grasp. Luffy let out a small cry of surprise as he was roughly grabbed by the collar of his shirt.

"You only eat when I say you can, you hear me?"

Before he knew what was happening, Luffy was whacked violently across the cheek with the small bone, the force of the hit causing his head to whip sharped to the side.

Dazed, Luffy look up at Ace's blank face. He gingerly touched the quickly forming bruise on his cheek, his mind scrambling to process what had just happened.

Ace released Luffy's collar, causing the boy to stumble but not fall. Lufy backed away from his brother, wary of the older's movements. "A-Ace?"

Ace ignored him, turning to the opposite wall. A few crude shelves made from scraps were attached to the wood. The shelves held various containers for fruits and such they collected from the forest. Luffy watched as Ace rummaged among the containers, looking for something. He picked up a piece of paper that Luffy didn't recognize. Pausing, the older looking at the paper silently for a moment before violently shoving it back behind more of the containers.

Finding what he was looking for, Ace grabbed a small, red container, and turned back to the smaller boy.

Luffy couldn't stop himself from flinching when Ace held the container out to him, lid open. Looking down, he saw the container was filled with bright, red shiny berries. Confused, Luffy looked back up at his older brother.

"There's no meat left. There wasn't enough. You can eat some of these instead."

Luffy looked back at the berries. No meat? It had been a whole bear, hadn't it? Luffy didn't question and reached for a small handful of berries. The berries looked sweet and juicy, and his throat was still sore from this morning.

"Thanks, Ace." Luffy flashed his brother a wary smile, still in shock from the rough hit.

Ace's face remained blank as he watched Luffy quickly gobble the red berries. He turned and placed the container back on the shelf, watching the younger stiffly out of the corner of his eye.

Luffy licked the juices off of his hand. The red juices had splattered everywhere. His shirt and shorts were stained a light pink in some places. Laughing, he wiped his hands on his pants, smearing more of the crimson liquid onto them. Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered Dadan yelling about getting his clothes dirty, but he ignored it.

"What are we doing now, Ace? Maybe we can-"

Luffy stopped short. Something didn't feel right. His tummy gurgled strangely. Sudden waves of dizziness came over the small boy. _What's happening?_

"A-ace?" Luffy called out uncertainly. His brother turned to him, but Luffy couldn't make out his face.

"Ugh...I don't feel.." Luffy cut off, a huge wave of nausea crashing over him. The small boy stumbled blindly, his vision blurring.

A rough hand pushed steadily on his shoulder, leading him to what appeared to be the door. The hand shoved him to his knees right as his stomach did a flip. Luffy retched violently, throwing up the little bit of food he had eaten that day over the side of the fort. Coughing and sputtering, the small boy shook as his body rejected the food he loved so much. Even when he stomach was empty, he body still shook until nothing but bile came out.

The retches subsided, and Luffy led out a choked sob as his stomach burned and tears flowed unwilling down his cheeks. Red liquid dribbled from his mouth. Turning his head slightly, Luffy noticed Ace leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and eyes shadowed.

"Only eat when I say you can. Disobey me, and there will be consequences. Understood?"

Luffy nodded meekly, his stomach tying itself in knots. Ace turned away, not glancing back as he walked bak into the fort.

Luffy sat back, placing his head between his knees. His stomach felt better, but now his head ached and his throat burned even more. The turkey leg had been the most food he had eaten in weeks, and now it was gone.

Luffy looked up at the treetops around him. The sun was beginning to set, turning the forest a beautiful shade of gold. Spring was here, and the forest looked more alive than ever.

_Then why do I feel so dead inside?_

*****There wasn't a thing to put in a line break, so this will have to do. I'll change it if it gets fixed. Gomen.*****

It was well past midnight, but Ace didn't feel like sleeping. The soft snores of Luffy told him that the younger boy was fast asleep. Luffy was a deep sleeper, and wouldn't hear Ace moving about.

Ace stood against the window, watching the moon shimmer between the leaves. He was out of sake, and all the pain-relieving herbs they had stored were gone.

Ace growled, gripping the wood of the window and causing it to splinter. Nothing was working. He tried drowning his grief in alcohol. Even taking the herbs that numbed every sensation in his body did nothing to numb his mind. Nor his aching heart.

A tiny whimper brought Ace from his thoughts. The dark boy looked over to where his younger brother was sleeping. The small boy groaned and tossed, most likely having a nightmare. Ace couldn't stop the sly grin that split his face at the sound of Luffy's distress...until the cries grew louder as they continued. Now they were getting annoying.

Ace stalked over to the child. He glared down at Luffy. This small boy was the cause of all his pain and suffering. Angry, he gave a sharp kick to his brother's side, hoping to shut him up.

Luffy let out another tiny cry, his face contorting in pain as he bent into himself, still deep in the clutches of his dream. .

_Why don't I just get rid of him now? It could be over quickly and then I wouldn't have to deal with this brat anymore. He deserves to die. He's a murderer!_

His movements stiff, Ace reached over and grabbed a nearby cushion. The pillow was old and dirty and smelled like wet dog. They had picked it up at gray terminal and it was far from soft, but it was better than nothing. Gripping the small pillow, Ace shoved the plush onto the smaller's face, effectively covering the younger's eyes, nose, and mouth.

Air cut off, the younger started to struggle, muffled cries sounding from beneath the fabric. Tiny limbs flailed frantically, and Ace had to duck to not be hit.

Ace grinned maniacally as the movements slowed before stopping all together, the small body going limp.

_Ace._

Ace jolted. What was that? He let go of the pillow in surprise, the plush square falling from the small boy's face. Luffy gasped, eyes fluttering before completely blacking out. Shallow breaths left the boy, and Ace watched as color returned to the younger's face.

_What had been that voice? It sounded like..._

Ace shook his head. He was just imagining things now. Getting up, he shakily made his way over to the corer, grabbing a blanket along the way. Curling up, he made himself a nest just like last night. What had said his name? Was he going crazy? Had he... But Luffy... Wha...?

Ace shivered, the blissful feeling he felt a moment ago dissipated by an unnerving chill running down his spine.

_It was 're getting yourself worked up over nothing. Stop it and just go to sleep._

In the background he heard Luffy's labored breathing.

Blocking out all thoughts, Ace fell into a fitful sleep.

_Sabo..._

**There you have it! Things are getting more intense for sure. **

**Footnotes:**

** - The chapter title "Betrayal" ties into a few things. I actually thought of it as how Luffy is feeling towards food right now, since food kinda betrayed him by making him throw up (which was rather gross to write, may I say. I actually based it from a few weeks ago when I ate some bad turkey and threw up and afterwards wrote down how it felt since I knew I would be needing it in this story, hahaha). So my thought was "I bet Luffy is feeling betrayed by food right now. Hey, that's a perfect title!". But I realize it could be other things. While it COULD be how he's feeling towards Ace, he still is under the illusion that Ace is the coolest big brother ever and would never hurt him, even though that illusion is slipping fast. Another is how Luffy feels about Makino, Garp, and the townsfolk. Garp DID leave him in the forest, and the townsfolk didn't really do anything to stop it. But Luffy is pretty much over that now, but still kinda ties in. Lastly, is could be a little bit of a foreshadow to how Sabo would feel towards Ace if he knew what was happening. He DID send that letter... **

** - More birds! I picked a yellow warbler this time because I know that they are also coastal birds. I felt in a yellow kick today.**

** - I'll be honest. Makino's character USED to really annoy me. I don't know why, because she really is such a kind woman. I'm sorry if that makes you mad at me! BUT as I read more and more of One Piece, she grew on me. Her kindness used to annoy me, but now i admire her strength. Especially after the Marineford arc. So I do like her more than I used to when I first read One Piece. Dadan is still more of a favorite mother-figure for me though. Even though she isn't a very good one haha XD**

** - Spring is here! Do you know what that means? Guess!**

** - I think Luffy is finally starting to see that things are not as they were before Sabo's death. Luffy really just wants to please Ace and make his brother proud. We'll just have to see how long it takes until he completely notices that Ace is not the same Ace as before.**

** - I cannot believe Ace just tried to suffocate Luffy. LIKE WHY? That's it, he's gone off the deep end. **

** - So now Ace is hallucinating? Hearing voices? You'll just have to wait and see!**

**Wow, that was a lot of footnotes. Sorry about that.**

**In other news, the first chapter of my new fic "Rim of Heaven" was recently posted! I urge you to check that one out too, especially if you like brotherly!AceLu and fantasy. The inspiration for the book came from the youth book "Dragon Rider" by Cornelia Funke. In case your a fan of that book; it was one of my favorites as a child. Don't worry, right now "Blame" is my priority, especially since I have it all planned out already and ROH is still in the works a bit. But yeah, go check it out if you can! :D**

**To my Reviewers! **

**Satan-chan**** - I'm glad that you like that I make you sad! *I wonder if I should be concerned my reader's well being* Hahaha, just kidding! It seems most people seem to be HAPPY when I make them SAD, which seems a bit strange to me, but I admit I am the same exact way, so i must be okay. Look how I turned out! *eye twitch*. Hahaha, in all seriousness, thanks for your review! A very smart reader you are, understanding my metaphors! Yes, you are 100% correct about the caterpillar. The full extent to that foreshadowing hasn't happened yet, but keep it in mind. It's coming soon! :) thanks for your review, it made me so happy! I hope you liked this chapter. **

**LovelyMinx17**** - Your reviews always make me smile. You always give compliments, and I have to admit, I feel a little starstruck when I see them since you're such an awesome writer *marvels in awe* So thank you for reading my little 'ol story. I'm just as excited, if not more, when you update as well. Yay for happiness! Luffy didn't get any food. In fact, he got negative food (I'm going to make that a thing) oh no! Thanks for reading an your review. I hope you liked this chapter! :)**

**lany-chan**** - Cool, I'm glad you think most of the characters are pretty canon. I have a tendency to really change characters when I write, which I don't necessarily want to do all the time. Expecially for this fic. Because the idea was to see if you change just one characters reaction to an even (Sabo's "death"), how does it affect the other characters. I know it'll be far from perfect, but I'll do my best! For you! Because you were so sweet and reviewed for me. If you happened to read the footnotes (which are long and wordy so I don't really expect people to read them anyway haha), you may have saw that I wrote I loved when Dadan was motherly. If I was in her position, I would be annoyed at the boys too! But deep down I know she really does see them as adoptive sons. It's hard, because in the anime/manga, they just skip all the years spent with her (which is fine because that's like 10 years and would take waaaaaaaay too long to do), but when you think about it, 10 years is a LONG time. So I'm sure she grew attached to the boys. Especially since she knew Ace since he was an infant! Sorry for the ramble, but I really like talking to you guys. Especially since I know you're all so kind enough to read it! :D Thank you, and please review again! If you want that is. :]**

**Guest (who reviewed on August 18)**** - I'm glad you find it incredible! I think YOU are incredible for taking the time to review! :D**

**Nanoko-chan**** - awww, I love that you love this fanfiction! ^^ Your English is fine. Much better than my French would be for sure! I only speak English and a little Español. *now I'm going to go cry at how uncultured I am*. I am honored to have a frenchie read this story (I'm honored to have anyone read my story really). It means so much to me! I hope my English is understandable, I know I talk weird even though I SPEAK English... thanks for your review! :3**

**Guest (who reviewed on August 23)**** - woah, now I have TWO guests reviewing? So cool! I hope this doesn't confuse you. I did the other guest first because I try to do them in the order someone reviews (I hope you aren't mad at me) YOU are the super duper nice guest who keeps writing all these kind things in all your reviews and I don't deserve all your kind words and you make me blush and squeal cause they make me so happy. *gasps for breath*. So you're like really, really sweet! hehe. I hope you weren't tearing up too bad! It makes me sad to think that I make my readers cry, but it's what y'all want *internal dilemma*. And I look forward to YOUR reviews very much, so it's only fair I give a good reply! I write how I think, so that's why they are so...strange I suppose. ^.^ Don't worry, I don't find you weird or off topic or rambley. Just super kind. Aw, I'm sure you're a better writer than you give yourself credit for. Your reviews are so awesome, so you must be! Your flattering compliments, I just don't know what to do! I hope I write as good as you say; you guys deserve to read well written things. I've got a lot to grow as a writer, and my grammar is horrendous, but you give me the motivation to do my best! I'm starting school again in a few...hours...crap. So your review cheered me up! The clean bathroom thing is based off of how my grandma used to be. Apparently, my grandpa used to read and drink beer in the bathroom since it was the only place he could get away from my dad and his five older brothers. My grandma HATED it because he would leave bottles in there and they would spill and break so she banned him from having alcohol in the bathroom, hahaha. Wow, this reply has REALLY gotten out of control. Oh well, you deserve it. I hope you liked this chapter! No Dadan, sadly. But a little Makino maybe? If you like? Let me know, I hope you'll review again! Really, they help so much.**

**So the author note seems to be as long as the actual story. That was really rude of me, I'm sorry. I just get so excited when you guys read. It makes my rainy days sunny! **

**Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts and drop a review. They really help me write better. That's all for now, I hope you'll keep reading!**

**Respectively yours,**

**F&F **


End file.
